Friday, December 13, 2013

Blog 11

Ina way, I think
there is a sort of uncomfortable inconsistency between the way we accommodate middle-eastern
students’ views/expectations of women and yet we say that we have zero
tolerance for discrimination. Considering the example about a racist student
from the South doing a study abroad in England being tutored by a black
student, I personally don’t think his beliefs should be respected or accommodated.
It sets a precedent that says it is okay to treat people differently because of
their race/their gender/their orientation/their religion. If every white
student were to refuse being tutored by this black student, it’s likely that he
would soon be out of a job. It is shallow and superficial to assume that a
person’s physicality (skin color, gender, disability, etc.) has anything to do
with their personality or intellectual capacity.

That said, when it
comes to accommodating any middle-eastern student who disdainfully believes
there is nothing a woman could possibly teach him, he should be given the
polite equivalent of ‘suck it up cupcake’, and be invited to join the next
available tutor (be it a man or a woman), or be asked to leave. Cultural values
should be respected – to an extent. Westerners who visit Middle Eastern
countries (especially religious sites) are expected to dress and behave in a
manner that is respectful to the local culture. This expectation should work
both ways, meaning that Middle Easterners who visit the West should expect to align themselves with our local culture and
treat women respectfully, the same as men, since emphasis on individuality and
equality are a huge part of America’s culture.